The once revolutionary ‘Dutch model’ of adolescent transgender care, which includes the use of puberty blockers, is currently being challenged. Help us to analyze the prospectively collected rich data of our unique Amsterdam Cohort of Gender Dysphoria Adolescent (ACOG-Ado) and address with us the current dilemmas in adolescent transgender care.

The project

Clinics providing medical transgender care for youth are confronted with sharp increases in referrals within a context where critics have become more vocal, expressing concerns about decision-making ability of adolescents and the limited evidence base for the current care model.

This project will 1) investigate if childhood versus adolescent onset developmental pathways can be distinguished and correlate with treatment outcomes, 2) gain insight in optimal decision-making processes in gender affirmative treatment for transgender adolescents, parents and health care providers and 3) integrate findings from aim 1 and aim 2 and co-create an optimal decision-making framework for transgender care for adolescents.

The project is a mixed-method study consisting of three work packages.

As a PhD you will, focus on aim 1 while using existing baseline data (n = 2000+) and newly collected follow-up data during treatment (1 year blockers and 1 year hormones) and in young adulthood (n = 600+), and examine whether distinct developmental pathways can be distinguished which correlate with treatment outcomes. Apart from descriptive analyses, you will use data-driven approaches. You will collaborate with the larger research team that includes a qualitatively participatory approach. Your quantitatively collected new data evidence with the normative ethical knowledge will lead to an optimal decision-making framework whereupon an advanced adolescent transgender care model can be based.

You main responsibilities are:

• The collection and storage of questionnaire data on the different times (baseline, during treatment on blockers and on hormones, young adulthood)
• Collaborate with qualitative researchers and be involved in design of research measures and
• Perform general descriptive mean-outcome group comparisons to devaluate the overall effectiveness of treatment (logistic regression analyses, serial ANOVA’s or MANOVA)
• Apply data driven approaches (e.g. a network approach) to gain insight into multivariate dependencies and generate hypotheses about putative relations concerning baseline characteristics, developmental pathways and treatment outcomes.

• A Master’s in biostatistics, statistics, methodology, psychometrics, or an equivalent field.
• You love working with data and doing statistics
• Experience with network analyses is required / recommended.
• You are communicative, well organized, independent and willing to supervise.
• You are interested and open-minded about transgender adolescent care

• Salary increase of 4% effective November 2023
• A contract for up to four years (conditional upon positive first year review and available finances).
• Salary scale OIO: € 2.789 to € 3.536 gross with full-time employment (depending on education and experience).
• Besides a good basic salary you will receive 8.3% end of year bonus and 8% vacation allowance. Calculate your net salary here.
• Free and unlimited access to our online learning environment GoodHabitz.
• Pension accrual with the ABP, of which we pay 70% of the premium.
• (Partial) reimbursement of your public transport expenses. Do you prefer to come by bike? Then we have a good bicycle scheme.
• An active staff association and Jong Amsterdam UMC association, both of which organize fun (sports) activities and events.

Amsterdam UMC

Strengthening Adolescent Transgender Care is led by Dr. Annelou L.C. de Vries (Annelou de Vries) and is based in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria (CEDG) at Amsterdam UMC, Location VUmc in the dynamic and vibrant city of Amsterdam. The Center has an interdisciplinary team of approximately 100 employees, including nursing consultants, medical administrative employees, psychiatrists, medical psychologists, pediatricians, endocrinologists, gynecologists, physician assistants and surgeons. It is the leading center for gender-affirming care in the Netherlands and worldwide, known for both its influential model of care and cutting-edge research. Research of the CEDG Amsterdam has delivered important and relevant evidence for transgender care guidelines since its inception. The CEDG has also strong connections with transgender advocates and self-support organizations who will also be part of this project.